Hard Way
by Beyondthunder
Summary: postkiss in What Kate did there's gonna be some complications...
1. Chapter 1

Kate blindly ran through the jungle, until her legs collapse under her weight. She fell on her knees, as a cold rain made mud gush out all around her.

All her body was shaking and her teeth were chattering. Her thoughts were whirling so fast she couldn't think about anything but the haunting voice in her head repeating "I kissed him, I kissed him…"

Her thoughts began clearlier as the rain was falling stronger. She hadn't wanted to do that, she'd been getting close to Sawyer last days… and then she'd found herself in Jack's arms, deeply crying, deeply hopeless, deeply lost, and him so close to her she could feel the warm of his body… she'd given up and kissed him.

Her hands were violently shaking when she tried to wipe the rain away from her face. The first flash of lighting which tore the sky stood her up. Once again, she ran to lose breath towards what she thoughts to be the beach. And yet she landed up to the bunker.

Her jeans were covered of mud, her t-shirt matted to her skin, and her soaked curls were trickling on her shaking shoulders. Her lips were getting blue from the cold.

Kate got into the bunker and reached the control room which, weirdly, was empty. Realising she was putting mud everywhere, she took her shoes off.

Suddenly she heard the door slamming. She abruptly turned around and instinctively made a few steps backwards. She stumbled over her shoes and lost balance. A searing pain went through her right wrist as it crushed on the floor.

-Damn!!

She got up, moaned in pain and furiously kicked her shoes. A voice behind her made her jump again; she was tense.

-Kate?

Jack. Just like she didn't have enough problems.

-Hey… she sighed.

Her wrist hurt so strong she had tears in her eyes. She tried to go round Jack to avoid the conversation.

-Look I'm just gonna go, 'cause I… she tried to explain.

He held her back by the wrist. The right one. And noticed she winced with pain.

-What's wrong? he asked.

-Nothing. I'm fine.

She clenched her teeth and freed her wrist.

-No you're not.

-Drop it.

She hurried towards the bathroom, which made Jack furious. She kissed him, she ran away, she avoided him, she lied to him…

-Stay here! (he caught her up) What's wrong with you?!

-I'm fine!! She yelled.

She locked herself up in the bathroom slamming the door, and collapsed against the wall while Jack was yelling outside:

-Kate! Open tha' door!!

She started to sob softly. Her wrist was stiff, blue and swollen. Maybe broken, maybe worse. But she didn't want Jack to know it. She didn't want to feel his hands on her skin when he'd heal her, neither his gaze in her when he'd ask how it had happened.

No, she preferred suffer, because pain was a feeling she understood. Those she felt for Jack were too confuse and too strong, impossible to define.

-Kate, I don't wanna talk to a door. Please get out.

He'd spoken with a soft voice. Kate's was full of tears and pain when she answered.

-No I need that door.

-Why is that?

-Because I… I'm not brave enough to face you right now.

-Come on, we really need to talk…

-About what? She sighed, dreading the answer.

-About us, about you…

-I don't wanna talk about me, she interrupted.

-Sure, you prefer lying!

Jack was getting worked up.

-Leave me alone!! She yelled.

She tried to get up, slipped on the wet floor and brutally fell forwards, again on her hurt wrist. This time she yelled in pain.

-Kate! Are you all right?

The only answer he got was a moaning. He made a few steps backwards and smashed the door in with a kick.

Kate was on the floor, crying softly and holding her wrist tightly to her. Jack hurried towards her.

-Kate, you OK? He asked, worried.

She straightened up and clumsily wiped her tears away. At this moment Jack noticed the state of her wrist. Very big and very blue.

-What the hell happened to your wrist?!

She tried to hide it while stammering:

-N-n-n-nothing…

Jack refused to hear more and lifted her up in his arms to take her into the bedroom. There her put her on the bed. She moved her legs up under her chin and looked down, staring at the floor. She didn't protest when Jack sat close to her and started to examine her wrist.

An electric thrill ran trough Kate's body when Jack touched lightly her hand to check the damages. He noticed this reaction and both of them knew it had nothing to do with her wet clothes.

-Think it's not broken, it doesn't seem so. I can't check but you must have torn your muscle or something like that… he finished to diagnose.

She didn't answer and went on avoiding his gaze.

-Look at me Kate.

She looked up, met Jack's gaze and looked down again. He put his hand under her chin and gently raised her head.

-No, I said "Look at me", he whispered.

He plunged his gaze into Kate's. Pain, tension and dread he saw in her eyes only hid a burning longing.

-Are you gonna be all right?

She nodded from left to right while a tear was rolling along her cheek. Jack was helpless against so much distress, all the more he didn't really know where it came from.

Finally he took her in his arms. She let him do it and gently sobbed on his shoulder. Jack almost lost control when he felt Kate's soaked body shaking against his own.

-Calm down, he reassured her, it's OK, it's OK…

-Thank you Jack, she whispered in his neck.

-For what?

-For being there…


	2. Chapter 2

One hour later Kate was sleeping on the bed, breathing regularly again.

After long minutes crying on his shoulder, Jack had finally bandaged her wrist so that it couldn't move at all. She was so tense and so agitated it had lasted almost an hour for her to fall asleep, and he'd spent all that time next to her, holding her hand like she was a kid who had nightmares.

The code alarm suddenly woke her up. She got up and threw a sorry look to her wrist. Then her bare feet silently led her to the control room. Where she found Michael.

His clothes were torn and dirty, he wore a several days beard, looked slimmer and had mad eyes. He seemed to come from the weapons room.

When he saw Kate, he got very nervous:

-Kate please… I've never come here OK? I'm leavin'…

-Michael don't go! That's not the best way…

-That's the only way. Please (he got a bit closer) don't tell Jack. Don't tell anybody.

-All right, she sighed.

He nodded and started to walk towards the exit.

-But Michael…

He turned around with a questioning look.

-Come back safe.

-I promise.

He gave a slight smile and ran away by the backdoor.

That's only when he disappeared Kate noticed she had only six seconds left to enter the code. At the moment she typed the last number, Jack arrived into the room.

-Hey, hem… I'm sorry but I was with Claire and Aaron and I forgot…

-It's OK, I woke up in time, Kate replied.

As always thanks to his doctor gifts, Jack noticed something was wrong.

-You OK?

-Sure, I'm fine.

Once again, she was avoiding his gaze, which was pretty getting on Jack's nerves. He got closer and stood right in front of her.

-What are you not telling me? he asked in a firm voice.

-You don't trust me?

-How could I trust you when you're lying to me?!

-I'm not lying to you!

-Yes you are! You lie about you, you lie about your feelings, and you lie about everything you don't want me to know!

Kate gave him and hurt look, turned her back to him and left in an angry walk as Jack was yelling:

-What are you hiding from me?!


	3. Chapter 3

Kate spent the rest of the day apart from the others. She was shared between her angst for Jack and her worry for Michael. He'd seemed so weak…

When night came, she didn't manage to sleep and finally decided to go and look for Michael. But it would've been a suicide without a gun.

When she entered the bunker, the control room was lit but empty. Whoever who was supposed to be there (probably Jack), fortunately he wasn't. Then she checked the meter: fifty minutes left. She had time.

She went to the weapons room, leant her ear against the electronic lock and slowly made it turn. She knew enough about stealing to recognise the small click of every good position.

It took her almost twenty minutes to open the door. Then she grabbed one of the marshal's guns and slipped it in her belt. She closed the door, hoping the gun's disappearance wouldn't be noticed. But when she turned around Jack was standing in front of her.

He looked furious and disappointed, and yet he spoke with a calm voice.

-First you lie, then you steal a gun… now what? You gonna kill me maybe?

Kate didn't say anything, but neither look down.

-I dunno why John gave you the code but…

-He didn't, she interrupted. I opened that door on my own.

-Then give that gun back to me.

-No.

She was pissing him off, again.

-No one's handing around with a gun, that's the rule Kate!

-Well Ana-Lucia and Sayid are.

-Ana-Lucia's a cop, and Sayid's a soldier! They're trained to wear guns, and they're trained to use them! They protect us!

A heavy silence followed.

-I need that gun.

-What for?

-…I can't tell you.

-I thought we were friends, for hell's sake! And now you're acting just like Sawyer would do! I'm sure you don't lie to him.

-Then don't make me lie to you.

As Jack was saying nothing, she added:

-I promise I and the gun will be back in a few days.

-Back from where?

-I don't really know… Somewhere on the island…

-But what the hell are you planning Kate?!

-Please, give me two days.

-You want me to let you go "somewhere on the island" with a gun and believe you'll be back in two days?

-Hem… yes.

-I'm going with you then.

-No! I've to go alone!

-Why is that?

-Because I said I wouldn't tell anyone…

-Eh Kate, do I need to remind you that you're kinda hurt? How are you supposed to hold a gun? You can't defend yourself at all!

He made a few steps towards her who seemed to be analysing his argument. When he got to be only a few centimetres from her, he whispered:

-Why is it so important?

She looked up to him and he saw in her eyes she was about to give up.


	4. Chapter 4

Deep inside, Kate was tired of always being in conflict with Jack. But they were so different from each other… he was a good man, a "man of science", he had done studies and was a brilliant surgeon, and she had never studied, she had used to sleeping in motels, she was an outlaw.

Jack slowly wrapped his arms around her waist to take the gun back.

Feeling his hands on her skin made a violent longing arise in her chest. Once again she wanted to kiss him, to hold him, to love him…

She abruptly freed herself from his arms, took the gun in her hand and ran away from him, from the bunker and from all her feelings.

But this time Jack wouldn't let her go. Each time she acted like that he was so upset, so disappointed, it couldn't last any longer. Now she had to stop running and face him.

He started to run after her, and as she was annoyed by her painful wrist, he fast caught her up.

His hand was one centimetre from her shoulder when the ground collapsed. The both fell in the pit and crushed three meters lower.

-Aw… Kate moaned.

-You OK? Jack stupidly asked.

-Well, 'think my wrist is really broken now…

-Show me.

As she didn't move, he lifted her arm up and noticed the hand was in a very weird position. He released it and sighed:

-Great…

He stood up and examined the pit. Then he noted:

-It's Sayid's trap. The one he built with Steve to defend us.

-Good job…

Kate was bout to add "can't be worse" when it started to rain, the same cold rain she had already met a day ago.

Jack sat down against the nearest wall, sighing:

-I can't be that unlucky…

-Sayid's gonna check the trap soon, isn't he? Kate asked.

-No he's not. He marooned the idea that someone could fall in it.

-Oh great. So we're supposed to spend the night down here?

-Yeah…

The conversation had been a bit cold, so Kate didn't stay too close to Jack. She winced when she had to use her wrist to sit down.

-Hurts strong? he asked.

She looked at him; "no more use to lie now" she thought.

-Yeah it does.

-Come here.

She got up, made three clumsy steps and then collapsed in the mud next to him. He took her hand in his again.

-Is that worse? she worried.

Jack brutally pulled her wrist forwards, holding her arm straight with his other hand. She yelled from surprise and pain.

-Not anymore, he replied after her hand was again in a normal position. Oh, you don't have to thank me.

She frowned at him, then gave him a slight smile, then moaned, then started to cry and fell into his arms. He smiled and held her tightly to him.

-Are you OK to be my pillow tonight? she sobbed.

-Yeah, he whispered back in her hair.

Five minutes later she was asleep, her head lying against his chest. Jack was staring at the dark clouds, thinking about how stormy was his relation with Kate.


	5. Chapter 5

-Kate, wake up… Jack whispered in her ear.

She kept her eyes closed and snuggled up in his arms. He sighed; she was so lovely…

The dawn had finally come. Jack had only slept a few hours. He'd spent the rest of the night watching Kate sleeping in his arms, never getting bored of this.

He gently stroked her hair.

-Kate…

She slowly opened her eyes and looked up to him. He smiled:

-Hey. You awoken.

She shook her head a bit.

-Sorry, but it feels so good in your arms, she apologized, smiling.

-Yeah, it seems so. Look, I had an idea tonight.

-Mmh?

-Sayid didn't plan out that more than one person could fall in this, so if I lift you up, think you'll be able to reach the top and then you'll get me out.

-It's a good idea but… it really took you all the night to find it? She teased him.

He faked to be offended:

-At least I wasn't sleeping!

She laughed.

-Ok you win.

She got up and offered her hand to him to help him getting up too. He took it and she pulled him up so that he stood in front of her, his body nearly touching hers.

-How's your wrist?

-He's bad, but I think I'll survive.

-Proud of you, he smiled.

-Stop joking, it's really hurting! she took offence, half-smiling.

He leant his head a bit.

-I know it's hurting.

He wrapped his hands around her hips, and held her tightly to him. Both of them wanted to do "it", none did.

-You ready? Jack whispered.

-Yeah.

He lowered his hands under her bottom and lifted her up. She clung on to the edge of the pit and heaved herself up. She clenched her teeth but let a small moan out as she had to use both of her hands.

-Take it easy Kate…

Finally he pushed her up and she rolled around outside the pit.

-Kate? You OK?

Her head appeared above his.

-Yeah I'm fine. Feels good to be outside… c'me on, gimme your hand.

-Maybe you should go and…

-Jack.

-OK, he sighed, catching her hand.

-Ready?

-Yeah.

She gathered all her strength and pulled him up. But he was heavy, and she could use only her left arm.

-Help me Jack…

He managed to grab the edge of the pit and she pulled outside, out of breath.

They stayed lying on the ground, both panting and smiling. Kate turned her head to meet Jack's eyes.

-You could have thought about this before, she said. It would've have avoided us to spend the night in there.

-Yeah, indeed, he replied. But I liked the night we spent in there.

She looked into his eyes for a while, and then confessed:

-Me too.

Jack didn't want her to see all the love and hope into his eyes, not after her runaway, so he got up; but soon she was standing in front of him. They were dangerously close, he shaking from her proximity, she drowning in his intense look. Kate slowly moved her hands to caress his ones, still looking silently into his eyes. He leant his head a bit and put his lips on hers.

They both shivered, and she responded by a deep kiss. He was losing his hands in her hair, happiness and desire growing in his chest, when he felt a violent knock at the back of his head. Immediately he collapsed, unconscious.

Jack woke up on the hard ground, feeling cold, and clumsily stood up. He was at the very same he had collapsed. He touched nervously the back of his head and felt dry blood under his fingers. How long had he been lying there?

Then he realised it. Kate was gone. He turned around, desperately looking for any clue, but there was no. She was just gone. He knelt and noted some footprints, heading to the jungle; he followed them.

But soon the footprints were gone too, leaving Jack alone among the dark trees. He was losing hope when he heard a small crack. He yelled:

-Kate!!!

-Jack?

It was her voice, the voice he loved so much. He looked up.

Kate was on the top of a big tree, at his right. She was hugging the nearest branch, very pale, trying not to look down.

-I was so afraid, she told him. Are you OK?

-I think so. Are you?

-Hem, it's quite high you know…

-But how the hell did you get up there?

-I managed to climb but now… I can't move anymore…

-OK, I'm coming.

He grabbed a branch, then another, and soon he was sitting next to her.

-I can't believe you did that with only one hand.

-And yet I did it! she said proudly.

She laughed and looked down. Seeing how high they were she turned paler and grabbed Jack's arm.

-You afraid, he asked softly.

-Yeah… she mumbled.

-OK, close your eyes then.

-Why? she questioned, obeying.

He grabbed her hand.

-Now you trust me. You blindly trust me, OK?

-I am blind.

As he started to move lower, she tightened her grip to his hand.

-Don't make me fall, I can't…

He stopped her placing a soft kiss on her mouth.

-Trust me.

She sighed, still a bit worried.

-OK, I trust you.

He slowly guided her about a meter lower, but there she lost a bit balance and as she couldn't use her other hand to retain herself, she grabbed Jack's neck. He held her, laughing:

-C'me on Kate, you don't make it easier!

-Yeah I know, she whispered.

Finally they managed to reach the ground, and she jumped in his arms. He happily kissed her, not anymore thinking about why she had had to climb up this tree.


	6. Chapter 6

When they finally headed back to the camp, it was around 10 in the morning, the most beautiful morning they'd seen in days. They were walking hand in hand, slowly, just as if they'd just been married the day before, and just as if they haven't been lost in an unknown island for months. Happiness –and love, of course- was overwhelming everything in that very instant.

But unfortunately they had to be brought back to reality in a few seconds, by the horrible sight of what had been their camp; because it wasn't anything like a camp anymore.

-What the hell...

The whole place had been totally burned. Tents, trees around, the church, even the vegetable had become nothing but ashes. Jack wandered a moment among the cold black dust, before he suddenly yelled:

-What the bloody hell happened here?!

Kate, terrified, was standing a few steps away from the carnage when she heard a voice beside her.

-Kate...

She almost had a heart attack as she jumped and turned around.

-Michael!

Indeed Michael was standing in front of her, even thiner and paler than he was last time. He looked terror-stricken, shaking, his eyes empty like a zombie's.

-Jack! she cried in fear, Jack there's...

The doctor instantly arrived to protect her and took her in his arms.

-Jesus Christ, he whispered, Michael...

His voice seemed to bring Michael back to reality. He seized Jack's shoulder, still deeply shocked.

-Jack, they were here... the Others, they were here, I saw them... They took everyone away, they had guns, they were a lot... they burned everything.

-Oh my god... Kate whispered.

The black man started to sob, going on stammering:

-I was hidden here... I should have come and help them... I saw them taken away and I didn't move, I just stayed here like a coward... I saw Claire yelling, I saw Aaron taken away from her, I saw Charlie being beaten as he was trying to defend her, I saw...

Kate buried her face in Jack's chest, not able to hear more. He tried to calm Michael down.

-It's OK Mike, just calm down, you ain't a coward, everything's OK now...

Michael collapsed on the sand and buried his face in his hands so he could cry everything he had. This allowed Jack to hold Kate tight and reassure her.

-What about the bunker, she suddenly said, maybe they didn't check the bunker out, maybe...

Jack gave her a confuse look.

-I dunno... I'd be surprised the Others forgot to check the bunker, but maybe they don't actually know there is a bunker.

-I'd be surprised if there was something they weren't aware of in this goddamn island, she returned.

-Let's go anyway, this is the only thing we can do, he decided.

He rapidly stood Michael up, and after this one had dried his tears, they started to run after Kate who was already gone.

Ten minutes later they arrived were had been the bunker. Had been, because now there was nothing but a widespread clearing, with burned stumps scattered all over. In the middle of a huge crater rose what remained of the bunker: the charred bottoms of its metal walls, bent over by the explosion blast.

Michael fell on his knees.

-Oh my God, oh my God...

-Exploded, Jack whispered.

-How can it be? Kate questioned in a small voice. I mean... this was supposed to make the island disappear, wasn't it?

-Just supposed, he returned, anger pointing in his voice. Now we know it was a kinda manipulation.

-Except if it didn't explode because of the button, Michael wisely noticed, still knelt on the ground.

-But what on earth could have made goddamn five-meter-thick metal walls explode?! Jack cried.

-And why didn't we hear such an explosion... Kate whispered for herself.

The doctor kicked a stump in front of him.

-Holy shit!! No medicines left, no guns left, no food left! What are we gonna do now?!

A long silence followed these words. Surviving was going to be hard.

-Where are we going now?

It is human instinct to look for life, human life. It is human instinct that, when humans are all scattered all over a place, they gather more than stay alone. The human being is made to live in society, made to live with others humans.

That's why, after they had shared one long glance, Michael, Jack and Kate started to walk towards the only place the knew there were humans, and friends: the Others' camp.

What really was their goal, Jack asked himself walking, why were they heading to the enemy camp? Were they hoping to get their friends out of there without any weapon? Maybe all this was aimless, maybe this was just the only thing they could do. However he didn't ask these questions to his companions, because he was sure if he said these words, they would sound like a suicide to him.

The other problem, beside the obvious lack of everything, including hope and chances of success, was they didn't know at all where actually was the Other's camp, for they had understandably never try to find it. They would probably be starving before they find it, and as they were wandering in the jungle, it was certain the Others would catch, or at least notice them.

Jack was lost in his thoughts when he felt a pressure on his arm.

-Jack there's... there's a boat.

-What?

Indeed there was a boat. A white, small sailboat, floating close to the beach they were walking along. Weirdly, it seemed empty.

Michael started to run on the sand, quickly followed by Kate and Jack. A few minutes later they were on board.

-This is our chance!! Jack exclaimed. We'll be able to reach their camp quickly and silently!

-If their camps is by the sea, objected Michael.

-It must be by the sea, affirmed the doctor.

They were hiding beside a huge rock, some meters away from the camp. In front of their terrified eyes, Charlie, Locke and Sawyer were knelt, hands and feet tied up. Charlie looked like he had been beaten, looking down, blood scattered all over his face and shirt.

-Why are they questioning only Charlie, Locke and Sawyer? Kate whispered.

-Charlie tried to protect Claire, probably they didn't like that. Locke looks like he knows something, and Sawyer looks like he's somehow gonna create problems.

Meanwhile, Sawyer was actually having problems.

-Three of you are missing, mister Ford, and you're gonna tell me where me where the fuck they are!

Sawyer spitted on the ground. The man kicked him on the nose. There was an horrible cracking sound followed by a scream of pain. Blood was streaming down Sawyer's face and t-shirt till the ground; he was wincing in pain.

-Where are Jack, Kate an Michael?!?!

Jack looked at Michael, then at Kate.

-We have to surrender.


	7. Chapter 7

-We have to surrender.

Both Kate and Mike froze.

-Can you repeat that? he asked.

Jack sighed.

-Don't look so surprised, you don't wanna let them die right there in front of you, do you? there's no other way.

Kate was looking at him in a strange, shocked way, like she had just found out that her heroic surgeon was kinda... afraid.

-Oh man, that's it, he's mad. That's the lack of eating maybe... started Michael, deeply concerned. Oh God, you've not drunk sea water, have you?

This last sentence pissed Jack off; he straightened up and shouted:

-Hey, I'm not mad OK? I'm the last sensed person here and...

BANG.

The surgeon stood frozen, and at first his companions didn't understand. Then Kate noticed a red spot on his shirt, growing bigger and bigger...

-JAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!!! she yelled as he collapsed on the floor, already pale as a corpse.

She had no time no jump on him because she was suddenly seized by strong arms and raised up; she soon joined Charlie, Sawyer and Locke.

The man who had beaten Sawyer dragged Jack's body in front of them, leaving a brilliant red mark on the floor. The surgeon screamed in pain and the man unceremoniously shot him in the head. The scream instantly interrupted and his tensed body fell back down; at this very moment, they knew he was dead.

There was an instant of silence; then Kate screamed and throw herself on the corpse, crying and crying.

-You... shot... him! she tried to yell at the man.

Everything she got was a kick in the forehead. The man bent down so that his face was nearly touching hers.

-Oh yeah, I killed him sweetie. And you know what? Your four lil friends, beside you, you know what? I'm gonna kill them too, one by one, right here in front of you...

Sawyer roared as he saw the blood streamind down Kate's forehead, with her tears.

-Don't you dare... he began.

The Other straightened up and shot him without a word. Sawyer's body shivered, and then collapsed on the ground.

-No... whispered Kate, her eyes filled with tears as the man reloaded his gun, no please...

He looked at her in a mad way.

-Told ya, baby. He was the first one, cause he was the one you loved the most after your lil doctor.

She closed her eyes, feeling sick.

-Then kill me first, just kill me, she begged.

He gave her a shark smile.

-Patient darling. Your time will come.

The smell of blood invaded her nose; she fainted on Jack's dead body.

...THE END...

Sorry I killed them all but it was stronger than me, I just want to say " Maaaaaaaaaaaaaan I killed them all!!!!!!!!!!!" ) God I'm evil


End file.
